Minister of Mining Monica Chang’anamuno has emphasised the need for Malawi and Africa to align with the global conversation on critical minerals and the energy transition to seize emerging opportunities.
She said this at the Critical Minerals Africa (CMA) Summit on Thursday which began with a Ministerial Forum in Eswatini, where mining ministers from that country, Malawi, Argentina and representatives from Tanzania highlighted initiatives to advance the mining sector.
In a speech shared with The Nation, Chang’anamuno highlighted Malawi’s vision to diversify its agriculture-dependent economy through its Agriculture, Tourism and Mining Strategy, prioritising critical minerals as a driver of growth.
She said: “Malawi currently has several rare earth and lithium projects, including the Kasongo rare earth project, which employs 1 200 people, with plans to engage up to 10 000 throughout its lifespan.”
The minister further said Malawi in partnership with a Korean firm and Rio Tinto recently discovered one of the world’s largest lithium deposits,
Additionally, Malawi targets to double its energy production to 1 000 megawatts (MW) by next year, with 232MW allocated to support mining operations.
In his remarks, Eswatini Minister of Natural Resources and Energy Prince Lonkhokhela described mining as a foundational pillar of economic growth for that country.
“Our recent aerial survey has indicated the presence of lots of minerals in the regions,” he said. n
